Illuminated wristwatch



NOV. 15, L V. MQNEY, JR

ILLUMINATED WRISTWATCH Filed Aug. 51, 1964 Y www ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,284,997 ILLUMINATED WRISTWATCH Lawrence V. Money,- Jr., Miami, Fla., assignor to Howard Ornstein, Miami Beach, Fla. Filed Aug. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 393,205 1 Claim. (Cl. Sti- 50) This invention relates to a wristwatch which includes means for lighting the face of the dial.

Often the occasion has arisen in the past wherein one wearing a wristwatch and finding himself in a darkened room or the like, needs or desires to know what time it is; however, under the circumstances he has been unable to do so. The instant invention provides a wristwatch which includes a light source within the watchcase which is disposed such that the light from the source is adapted'to illuminate the dial suriciently so that the time can be determined by the user. Switch means are also provided to supply energy to the light source at will by the wearer.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a wristwatch including a light source and a energy source with intermediate connections disposed within and carried by a wristwatch to illuminate the dial.

It is another object of this invention to provide a wristwatch including a light source and a energy source with intermediate connections disposed within the carried by a wrist watch to illuminate the dial. and intermediate connections being provided with a switch means operable exteriorly of the watch casing whereby energy flow to the light source may be caused to flow by the user.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a wristwatch of the type described hereinafter which is relative simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become aparent hereinafter, the instant invention will not be described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

FIGURE l is a top plan view of a wristwatch including a light source constructed in accordance with this in* vention',

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE l and looking in the direction of the arrows', and

FIGURE 4 is a partial cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters'designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, and referring particularly to FIGURE l, the numeral 11 designates generally a wristwatch including a band 12 and a casing 13 for the watch. Within the casing, a conventional clock face 14 is provided beneath a transparent crystal 16. The hands 17 and 18 respectively, are driven by a suitable mechanism (not shown). Referring to FIGURE 3 the back plate of the casing, designated by numeral 19, is formed so as to defined a well 21 for receiving a battery or energy supply 22. A suitable opening such as 23 is provided for the well and a cover plate 24 is provided which has a spring clip 26 on the interior thereof to normally urge a battery such as 22 positioned in the well away from the plate 24 and into engagement with a terminal point 29. The front plate 31 of the watch casing, which receives the back plate in male and female relationship, as indicated in FIGURE 3, includes a side opening 33 for the arm 34 of a slideable member of a switch now to be described. As is seen in FIGURE 4, the arm 34 is connected to a resilient means 36, which is mounted in fixed relation to the casing as at 37 to normal- 3,284,997 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 ly urge the arm 34 out of engagement with the terminal 35. A- light source, such as a bulb 38 is seated in a suitable location in the face 14 of the watch such as at 39, the said source having a first and a second terminal 42 and 43 respectively which project into the working interior 41 of the casing. One of the terminals, that designated 42 in the drawings, is connected to the terminal of the battery 29 by means of a conductor 44, which is suitably insulated as at 45. The other terminal, 43, is connected to the -other arm of 51 of the switch, which has the terminal which has been designated 35.

In use, the watch :is worn in the same manner as that of any other timepiece worn upon the wrist `of a wearer; however, at will the operator or wearer may illuminate the dial merely by permitting current to flow from the battery or energy source through the conductor 44 to the light source 38 and through the switch by slideably moving the switch arm member 34 into contact with the terminal. 35. It will be seen that in moving the arm 34 energy is stored in the spring 36 which normally urges the switch to the open position. Thus, upon release of the arm 34 the light will go out and normally remain that way as the current cannot complete its circuit to ground, in this case the watch case.

While the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be a most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be awarded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

A wristwatch including; a metal casing comprising mating back and front plates in casing-defining relation with said back plate having a well defined therein, a removable cover plate to cover the well, and said front plate having a circular opening, a crystal spanning the opening and captivated in said casing, a watch face having a central opening therethrough in the casing to divide the casing interior into a mechanism chamber and a time indicator chamber, a time piece mechanism in the mechanism chamber with a portion of said mechanism extending into the time indicator chamber and a pair of hands operatively connected to the portion, said casing having a first and a second opening communicating with the mechanism chamber, a watch stem means seated in the first opening and operatively connected to the time piece mechanism and operable exteriorly of the casing, said.

watch face having a through recess adjacent the periphery thereof; and an electrical illumination system including a battery in said well, a light bulb in said through recess and electrical conductor means to connect the battery and the bulb in series to light the watch face; spring means on the interior face of the cover plate to urge the battery into a predetermined position in the well, to maintain the battery and said light source electrically in series and to electrically connect the battery to said casing; and switch means in the casing including a first arm insulated from said casing and a second arm electrically in contact with said casing, said first arm including a conductor wire to connect the first arm electrically in series with said light source, and insulator means on said first arm and wire to insulate the first arm and the casing; said second arm being disposed in said second casing opening, means electrically connecting said second arm and said casing at all times with the second arm being movable between a first and a second position with a portion of said second arm at all times exterior of said casing and said second arm being electrically conductive and including a terminal adapted to engage the first switch arm when in one posi- 3 tion, resilient means comprising a bent leaf spring anchored at one end to the casing and at the other end to the second arm to normally urge said second arm away from the rst arm, so by said portion exteriorly of the casing into engagement with the first arm to 5/1960 Vogel 3/1961 Wegner FOREIGN PATENTS 341,770 1 1/ 1959 Switzerland. 343,922 2/ 1960 Switzerland. 35 7,344 11/ 1961 Switzerland.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES C. LOGAN II, Assistant Examiner. 

